Anne of the Avonlea School
by Hediru
Summary: What might have happened if Gilbert married Christine Stuart? Neither Anne nor Gilbert are completely happy with how their lives have turned out. Scandal has brought Gilbert back to Avonlea, alone. Second chances are rare, or are they? I do not own Anne of Green Gables (though I wish I did!). All major characters (and a few minor ones) are the property of L.M. Montgomery.
1. Chapter 1: A Return

Anne Shirley smiled as she locked the schoolhouse door. "It doesn't matter how many years I've been teaching, but I always look forward to summer vacation," she sighed. The moment was bittersweet, however, because she knew that this would be the last time that she closed the door of the Avonlea schoolhouse. The one room school was going to be raised in coming months and a brand-new multiple room school would be erected in its place. Three new teachers would be joining Anne at her post in the fall, and Anne would become Avonlea's first principal. The notion of that was enough to make her head spin. There were just so many changes!

Unfortunately, the changes that she really dreamed of, to be a wife and mother someday, she had long since written off as a mere dream that never would come true. Though she had never wanted for a partner at a social event when she was younger, she now found herself fulfilling the late Mrs. Rachel Lynde's prophecy of having her "beaux slip through her fingers". Oh, there had been prospects enough: she had been proposed to more times than she could count. But only two of those proposals were even worth considering at the time, and in the end, even those gentlemen were turned away. She laughed to herself when she remembered how she almost accepted Roy Gardner's proposal: she had really dodged a bullet there! She had heard through the gossip of her former Redmond classmates that Roy did marry… and he had a few girlfriends on the side as well. Anne couldn't imagine living that way, and much preferred her singleness to _that. _She would never be able to endure infidelity.

All of her beaux, as far as she knew, had found wives. Even the undesirable Charlie Sloane had found a match, fittingly, in that of one Josie Pye. Of course, Anne had never even considered that possibility. There was only one gentleman that she regretted turning down. If only she had not been so young and silly, she would have recognized that… that… but what was done was done. He had also married and shocked everyone when he decided to leave the island and give up his dream of being a doctor, all to please his wife. "It's true", she thought to herself. "Christine Stuart doesn't deserve him." Then again, it's not like she had proved herself worthy either.

Anne had settled into her calling as the old maid schoolmarm very well, however, and loved each and every one of her students as if they were her own children. The children of Avonlea, in turn, spoke highly of their beloved Miss Shirley, and former students always made it a point to call on Green Gables whenever they were in town. It may not have been the life she had always wanted, but it was still her life, and she was determined to live it to the fullest.

All of her old friends were settled with families of their own, and most rarely saw her anymore. Their lives were just too full. There was one friend, however, who always had time for her Anne: Mrs. Diana Wright neè Barry, now a mother of three, had always welcomed Anne warmly into her home at Lone Willow Farm. This day was no different. She looked up from the sewing on her lap, startled as Anne walked into the room. "Why Anne!" she exclaimed, "We didn't expect you to come by so early! Don't you need to check on Marilla first?"

Marilla Cuthbert, now in her eighties, was finally succumbing to the frailties of old age. Anne had hired a nurse to look after her during the school day, and was so confident of the nurse's abilities, that she knew that she needn't worry. But knowing she didn't have to worry and actually not worrying were totally different things.

"Oh, Diana, you know I worry way too much about Marilla," Anne sighed. "It is such a glorious day. Why do I have to spoil it just now? Am I not allowed to come and visit my bosom friend for a spell before I take up worrying again?"

"Well, when you put it that way, Anne, come on in! Unless, of course, you'd rather remain on the porch, drinking in the beauty of the sunset."

Anne, choosing the latter, settled nicely into the front porch swing and sipped the lemonade that Diana had brought out.

"I am amazed, Anne, with how you've managed to excite Freddy this year in school. He was always coming home with some new insight that you shared," Diana said. "And Delia's absolutely in love with you. It's always 'Miss Shirley' this and 'Miss Shirley' that. Jack says he cannot wait to enroll in school next year!"

Anne blushed. She was always embarrassed when people praised her teaching ability. She never considered herself better than any other teacher, she just loved her job. "I was just building upon the curiosity that you instilled in them at home." The two friends continued this friendly banter for about an hour, and had moved the conversation indoors where they began washing and drying dishes together when Fred, Diana's husband, came home.

"Ladies, you will not believe who I just ran into in the General Store today!" he exclaimed. "Gilbert Blythe!"

Anne turned around with a start, and actually dropped the glass she had been holding. It smashed into pieces onto the hardwood kitchen floor. "Oh, Diana, I'm so sorry! I am so clumsy sometimes! I will replace it for you!" She knelt down to carefully pick up the pieces.

"Don't worry about it Anne, we have dishes break all the time. With three children in the house, I can't worry too much about a couple of broken glasses," Diana gently replied, eyeing her husband.

Diana, unlike her oblivious husband, knew why Anne reacted so strongly to Fred's casual remark about Gilbert. Several years ago, Anne had confessed to Diana her true feelings for her old chum. That had been the night before Gilbert married Christine Stuart, when Anne begged Diana to come up with an excuse for her not to attend the ceremony. Only Diana knew how Anne had had to bury and ignore her true feelings and regret for turning down his proposal. The two friends had avoided talking about him ever since.

Trying to keep her voice steady, Anne asked, "So, what brings Gilbert out of Kingsport? Has he decided to revisit his youth?"

"He didn't really say. He said that he had needed a change of scenery and was renting the one bedroom apartment above the store. It was strange too. He had his little daughter with him, Joyce, I think her name was, but Mrs. Blythe was nowhere to be seen. Sweet little thing, though."

Diana shook her head. She had heard some very juicy but sad gossip that suggested why Gilbert might be returning to Avonlea without his wife, but she didn't want to speak of it in front of Anne. Hastily, she glanced at the clock, and suggested that it was getting late, and remarked, "Doesn't the nurse's shift end soon, Anne? You'd better be heading back to Green Gables!" Anne eagerly agreed and left. She had a queer feeling inside her, however. With Gilbert back in Avonlea, she just knew that even more unexpected changes were right around the corner.

* * *

Anne dropped by Lone Willow Farm the next day with a worried look on her face. "Marilla is getting worse, Diana," she started. "Today, she didn't even recognize me at first, and when she finally did, she asked where Matthew was. The nurse says that this kind of thing unfortunately happens often with Alzheimer's patients, and there is nothing we can do. It breaks my heart. I just can't sit there and watch her mind deteriorate like that anymore, and had to get away. So, do you have any good gossip to distract me from my troubles?"

Just then, amid squeals of laughter, Anne Cordelia Wright, Elizabeth Spurgeon, and another little girl Anne didn't know ran through the room. "Ladies, please remember to use your inside voices!" Diana scolded.

"Sorry Mrs. Wright/Mother," came the mumbled responses.

Diana smiled. "That's alright ladies. Delia, why don't you show your new friends your room?" Gleefully, and with only a few more shrieks, the girls skipped up the stairs.

Turning back to the elder Anne, she said, "Sorry for the interruption. This is the first time Delia has had friends over at our house, and she's very excited. I am very sorry to hear about Marilla. You know you can come over here any time you need to get away."

But Anne wasn't worried at the moment. She was, in fact, struck with curiosity. There was something very familiar about the third girl, even though Anne was sure that she had never met the child before. "Diana, who was that with Delia and Lizzie?" she asked.

Diana hesitated slightly before softly responding, "That is Joyce Blythe."

Anne gasped. Suddenly, it all made sense. The hazel eyes, the wavy chestnut hair, and the way her nose crinkled when she smiled: they were all Gilbert. There was no doubt who was her father.

"Diana, the other day when Fred mentioned that Gilbert was back in town, you acted like you might know something. I'd like to know. Please don't keep this a secret from me, Diana."

After a very long pause, Diana let out a very long sigh. "I hadn't wanted you to know what I've heard. It's all just speculation; no one really knows for sure. And knowing how you feel about Gilbert, well, I didn't want you to know. But, since you asked…"

Here she paused, and sighed again. Anne waited patiently.

"Christine just up and left him a couple months past. She completely abandoned him and their child. No one knows where she is. Police suspect that Gilbert had something to do with it."

Startled by this, Anne asked, "Christine's gone? But… why?" She couldn't imagine ever leaving Gilbert – except that in a way, she already had.

"Who knows? But like I said, the police suspect that something happened to her. Some even consider Gilbert to be a suspect. Maybe it is something as simple as they don't believe that any woman would just abandon her child like that, and Gilbert was just an easy target to place their suspicion on. But whatever the reason, it has completely ruined Gilbert's reputation. Local gossip labels him as guilty, even though the police do not have enough evidence against him to arrest him. In order to protect his daughter, he had no choice but to leave town. Where else could he go, but Avonlea? Unfortunately, the gossip arrived here before he did, and it shows in the way that people treat him."

"Surely Gilbert is innocent. Why, he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Anne replied, indignant. "Why people would even suspect him is beyond me."

"I agree, Anne, but you must wonder what could cause a grown woman to suddenly up and leave her husband and child without warning or with good reason."

"Poor Gilbert," Anne started. "And that poor little girl, having to go through all of this at such a young age. That poor, motherless, girl."

Suddenly, a deep sense of love; a deep, almost maternal sense of compassion swept over her for the young child that she had barely even met. She was going to need a woman in her life to look up to and to love her. Anne vowed right then and there, that she was going to be that woman. But, the question was, how to do that without running into her father?


	2. Chapter 2: A Scandal

"So, it's true, then!" Mrs. Josie Sloane haughtily remarked as she sauntered up to Gilbert in the General Store. "The prodigal son of Avonlea has returned! I suppose that you think that you can just return and pretend that nothing has changed!" she sniffed.

"From what I've seen so far, nothing has, Josie," came the reply. "You're just as…" he paused, trying to find the right word. "…acrimonious* as always."

Josie laughed. "Well, thank you, Gilbert. You have always had such a way with words!"

Gilbert politely tipped his hat to Josie and her cronies. When they turned away, he chuckled to himself and prayed that he was nowhere near town when Josie found out what "acrimonious" means.

He was already too late to make an escape. Clearly, her sister Gertie knew what it meant. Either that or she at least saw through his smiling veneer to see his true intentions. Gertie whispered into her sister's ear something that made the latter turn bright red. Josie became indignant.

"Those Blythes have always thought they were better than the rest of us, and he is no different! Look at him putting on airs! Well, we'll show him, won't we ladies?" Josie hissed to her cronies. Then with their noses in the air, she led them all outside past the Blythe in question.

Gilbert, however, didn't even notice. He was busily perusing the many dolls, books, and other toys that were for sale with a look of intense concentration written all over his face. "May I help you, sir?" the lady behind the counter asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for a present for my daughter. She turns six next week, and I'm looking for something extra special to give her."

"Have you considered a book, sir? I know she's not yet old enough to read well, but she'd probably love to have you sit and read a book to her."

Gilbert thanked the girl for the great idea and his eyes lingered over a book of children's nursery rhymes. Somehow, however, it didn't seem quite right. He glanced around some more. Suddenly, he spotted the perfect book. It was a collection of poems that were illustrated for little girls. He was sure that his little girl would just adore the book, because he once knew another girl who loved one of the poems in it more than any other poem in the world. There it was, "The Lady of Shallot".

* * *

Gilbert returned home with just enough time to cook a light dinner before Fred brought Joyce home from her playdate. He thanked his lucky stars that his mother taught him to cook growing up. He'd never make it on his own as a single father if he couldn't make a decent meal.

Gilbert shook his head. Never in a million years did he ever think that he would end up as a single father. Like any groom, he had been full of hope on his wedding day. Was she the woman that he had thought he'd marry? Technically, no, but Christine was a sweet girl and a good woman. She'd make a very fitting wife and mother for his children. Or so he thought.

The problems began almost immediately. Christine became moody and angry all the time, and nothing that Gilbert ever did could please her. At first he chalked it up to hormones as Christine became pregnant early in the marriage. But her discontent seemingly escalated after Joyce's birth. Gilbert found that he was spending more and more time at the office where he worked and much less time at home. By Joyce's first birthday, they were sleeping in separate bedrooms. By her second, they weren't even acknowledging each other at the dinner table. By her third, Christine was going out at night and not returning home until the wee hours of the next morning, and Gilbert found that he really didn't care. They continued in this pattern of discontent for the next two years.

Gilbert couldn't understand what went wrong. It was true that by now there was no love lost between the couple. But he couldn't understand why. He had literally given up everything for her. He left his beloved Avonlea, and even Prince Edward Island, just so Christine could be close to her mother. He gave up going to medical school, because said mother wouldn't hear of them having a long engagement and insisted that they marry right away. Knowing that he couldn't support his wife as a medical student, he got a job at the only place in Kingsport that was hiring at the time: the newspaper office. Still, nothing could please her.

He liked his job, and he was good at it, but he still felt a sense of loss over his dream of becoming a doctor. For that matter, he was mourning the loss of all of his dreams: every single one. He had dreamed of a happy home with a happy wife and happy children. He had dreamed of… _her._ But that particular dream was dead long ago, before he had even met Christine.

One night, he lost it. He decided that he would stay up until she came home and tell her off. But it was a somber Christine who came in at dawn. "Gilbert, I'm pregnant."

The silence was deafening. Then Gilbert dared to speak.

"Whose is it?"

"Yours."

"Don't lie to me, Christine! That's impossible, and you know it! Whose is it?" His voice was escalating.

"Shh! You'll wake up Joyce!"

"Well, now you care about Joyce?! You should've thought about that before you became pregnant with another man's baby!" He was irate.

"I'm sorry."

"Like hell you are! I'm going to ask you one more time, Christine, and I'd better get an answer! Whose is it?"

"Why should I tell you?!"

Gilbert was so enraged that all he saw was white. He didn't even realize that he'd hit her until his hand started hurting and he saw the red handprint on her cheek.

Calmly, she said, "I'm leaving."

"Well, good riddance!"

She calmly reached into the closet and pulled out a suitcase. Gilbert was stunned when he realized that it was already packed. It appeared that she had been planning this. Turning over her shoulder as she left, she stared at him coldly and said, "You know, this is all your fault. You never loved me. You never could. You have only ever loved Anne. Don't deny it. You talk about her in your sleep every night."

* * *

The argument had of course awakened Joyce, and Gilbert soon found himself in her bed, silently crying as he held his sleeping daughter in his arms. That was almost nine months ago, and Christine had neither been seen nor heard from since.

Gilbert, of course, assumed that she had gone to be with her lover. But no one knew where she was. Her friends called him at work after she missed their weekly tea. The ladies society at church inquired after her because they hadn't seen her, either. But it was when her mother called that he knew that something was up.

The police were called in, and a missing persons report was filed. Soon, witnesses starting coming forward, saying that they heard a fight in the Blythe house the night of her disappearance. Gilbert, acting in good faith, told the police everything: the unhappy marriage, the fight the night of her disappearance, how he had hit her in anger, and the illegitimate pregnancy. Unfortunately, all this did was to give him a clear motive for harming her. However, no body was ever found, or any concrete evidence of any kind for that matter, so Gilbert had not been formally charged.

But that didn't mean that people had believed he was innocent. The newspaper fired him, and that very same day published a headline that read, "Blythe Not Very Blithe. Husband Suspect in Wife's Disappearance". He was ruined. Notifying the police of his plans so as not to appear to be running, he packed up and moved home to Avonlea.

But the people Avonlea did not welcome him back with open arms. He had insulted them by leaving in the first place, and compounded their distaste for him when news of the scandal was spread around the small town. No one, not even his childhood best friends it seemed, wanted anything to do with him. If only his parents were still alive, they'd have still welcomed him home at least. But alas, the elder Mr. and Mrs. Blythe were long gone and the farm was sold. Never had Gilbert ever felt so alone.

Thank goodness for his daughter, though. Joyce was a beautiful ray of sunshine in his otherwise grey world. She seemed delightfully unruffled by recent events and was full of girlish wonder, imagination, and joy. For all the hell he had gone through since marrying Christine, he'd do it all over again in a heartbeat, just to have this wild nymph of a girl as his daughter.

This revelry was interrupted when his daughter burst through the door and gave him a big hug and a smile that was only for her Daddy. That smile made his heart melt every time, and he knew that without a doubt that he would do anything for her, just to keep that smile on her face.

* * *

***Acrimonious: adjective angry and bitter**


	3. Chapter 3: Groundbreaking Glances

The big day had finally arrived. Having removed the furniture and all other items just one week ago, the old schoolhouse was no more, and in its place was a pile of rubble and a makeshift platform flanked with five golden shovels. They were ready to break ground for the new Avonlea School, and it seemed that the entire town turned out for the festivities. Anne stood squinting on the platform with the three new teachers that were set to begin teaching in the fall, listening as Mayor Jensen droned on at the microphone. She glanced at her staff assembled to her left. She looked forward to working with these fine educators. Ms. Myra Byrd had been the teacher at White Sands and would be teaching the primary students. She had a friendly face and a reputation of being very kind. Mr. James Reed had been recruited straight out of Queens to teach the intermediate students. Young and fresh-faced, he barely looked older than his students. The staff was rounded out with Ms. Katherine Brooke, a former private school teacher from the mainland who claimed she wanted a change of pace. She was recruited to teach the advanced students. Unlike her co-workers, her reputation was that she very stern and her face seemed to have a constant scowl. Rumor had it that she had wanted the principal-ship, but it had already been promised to Anne. Anne wasn't sure how she would manage to get along with Ms. Brooke, but she hoped that they would be able to work together well, even if they may not become friends.

As the mayor continued his long speech, Anne found herself gazing out into the crowd. It was quite a spectacle to see everyone gathered there in one place. It amazed Anne to realize just how many in the crowd had once been students in the old schoolhouse. Avonlea wasn't really the kind of place where outsiders tended to move, so it was easy to assume that with the exception of a few spouses who had been found elsewhere, the entire town had grown up in the schoolhouse. An ending of an era, indeed, and now they were on the threshold of a new. She gazed at the faces. There were Fred and Diana and their small brood. There was Davy and his bride Lucy, and Dora and her new husband Frank. Then there were Charlie and Josie, Billy Andrews and his wife Nettie, Paul Irving and his wife Susan, and… she gasped. There was Gilbert Blythe!

He was standing at the back of the crowd, a good distance from the platform, but she'd recognize him anywhere. Studying him, she decided that at least from that distance he hadn't changed one bit. Tall and lean with his chestnut hair blowing roguishly in the light breeze and a strong arms wrapped securely around his young daughter on his shoulders, she decided that she very much liked what she saw. But, realizing that she had no right to look at him that way, she tried to focus instead of looking at anyone else in the crowd. So occupied were her thoughts that she missed her cue to grab a shovel to prepare to break the ground. Ms. Brooke, still scowling, nudged her to break her from her trance.

Embarrassed by her delay, she slipped over to the shovel, hoping that no one noticed. After the countdown, Anne, the mayor, and the four teachers together dug the first hole in the ground to build the foundation for the new building. The crowd applauded.

* * *

Gilbert had noticed her delay. In fact, he had noticed everything about her since she had appeared on the platform. He was glad for his distance at the back of the crowd. At first he was glad to be at the back so that it wasn't obvious to Joyce that everyone was avoiding them. Then he realized the added benefit of looking like he was listening intently to the mayor's speech when he was really just watching Anne. He was mystified. He didn't think that it could be possible, but she seemed to have grown even lovelier since he had last seen her. Her golden auburn hair that he had once so adored literally glowed in the sunlight. He was amused that even on stage, Anne seemed as bored as he was. She hid it well, but Gilbert could still read her body language as if it was a book. She was scanning the crowd. Was she looking for someone? She paused. No, it wasn't possible. Was she just looking at him? He felt his face begin to flush and prayed that she couldn't see it. He quickly looked away. He looked back just in time to see her slink casually over to the shovel.

After the ceremony, there was a reception in the town hall. Gilbert smiled to himself as he remembered the ghastly blue that the hall was temporarily painted back in the old AVIS days. That was a scrape that Anne had almost everyone she knew involved, including (perhaps even especially including) Gilbert himself. Back then, Anne was always getting into scrapes. Though she was often mortified by them, they had only endeared him to her.

The object of his endearment was standing by the punch bowl, talking with Mr. and Mrs. Smoth about enrolling their son in school. He observed her quietly. She seemed so professional and so in control; he was duly impressed. There was something else about her, though, something that he couldn't quite name. Was she tired? Stressed? Perhaps she was a bit of both? There was exhaustion and stress in her face, yes, but still there was something else, too. Then it hit him. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not. Where was the old spark that used to glimmer in her eyes? He didn't have time to ponder this, however, because his young date was begging him to teach her how to dance. "Daddy! Daddy! Please?" How could he resist?

* * *

Anne was fully aware of Gilbert's presence. It was like she had an extra sense. Even when she wasn't looking at him, she felt him. She felt him looking at her – or was her imagination just running away with her again? It was unnerving. She tried to keep a professional exterior and carry on as if Gilbert was not there. Yes, little Johnny Smoth was old enough to enroll in the fall. No, there was no tuition; it is a public school after all. No, Johnny would not be in the same classroom as his ten year old neighbor who likes to throw things. Yes, she's looking forward to having him in class.

When the Smoths left, Anne found him on the dance floor, teaching his daughter how to waltz. She stood on top of his feet, reaching up with her arms. He was hunched over so to reach her better. Anne's heart melted at the sight. How incredible that Gilbert should have a daughter. He was so good with her! Of course, by now, the majority of Anne's former classmates had married and had had children, but there was something about Gilbert's child that amazed her more than the others. Then it hit her. Joyce could have been… no, _should_ have been… but Anne was not going to let her thoughts go that direction. What was done was done, and there was nothing that could be done to change it.

The festivities were interrupted when a police officer entered the room. "Is there a Mr. Gilbert Blythe here?" Everyone pointed to the middle of the floor.

"I am he. Is there something wrong, officer?"

"May we speak to you in private, please?"

With every eye in the room scrutinizing him, he looked around helplessly. Without thinking, Anne stepped forward.

"I'll watch her for you, Gilbert."

His faced first registered surprise, and then relief. "Thanks."

With every eye in the room following him, he followed the officer outside to his patrol car.

As Gilbert was leaving, Anne walked forward an introduced herself to Joyce.

"I'm Miss Shirley, and I'll be your new principal in the fall. How about we finish that dance lesson?"

Joyce seemed wary at first, but eventually smiled at let Anne take her out on the floor. Joyce would later spend the night at Green Gables, and she decided that Miss Shirley was her new "best-est" friend.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gilbert was getting some shocking news from the officer.

"I'm Officer Dain. Do you know why I've needed to speak with you?"

"I assume that you have news about my wife."

"I do. She's been found."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who have read and reviewed so far. This is my very first fan fic. I'm glad that you like it!**

**Sorry that this chapter was a little late in getting posted. I needed time to figure out an exact sequence of events in the story and how we get from point A to B. I have some surprises coming down the line, so read on!**


	4. Chapter 4: Midnight Confessions

**AN: Sorry that it took me awhile to post this chapter! Life has been a bit crazy lately, but has settled down again. Keep the comments coming! Also, I've replaced some of the more contemporary language in my earlier chapters as several of you have pointed them out to me. It is difficult to write for a different time period!  
**

* * *

The party had ended quite abruptly after Gilbert's departure. Anne stayed behind to help clean up, mainly so that she could keep an eye out for Gilbert's return. Soon, however, there was nothing to do but leave. Keeping her promise to watch his daughter, she took young Joyce back with her to Green Gables. She was truly a delightful child. They had a light supper, and Joyce watched as Anne fed Marilla her dinner. Marilla, though she did not recognize Anne or her young attendant, seemed to be in better spirits than usual. Joyce was shy at first, but eventually opened up. After Marilla went to bed in the early evening, Anne and Joyce read a book together. As the hours went on, Anne became increasingly worried about Gilbert, though she hid it from the child. Eventually, Anne despaired of waiting up for him and put the young girl to bed in Dora's old room.

It was almost midnight when there was a knock on the door. Anne cautiously opened the door to see Gilbert standing there. She was flooded with relief, though she tried not to let him see. "Come in, Gilbert."

"Thank you" he said as he stepped through the doorway. "I'm sorry that I am so late. Is Joyce still with you?"

"She is. I put her to bed upstairs. I hope that's alright."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to be a bother."

"It's no bother. She's welcome to stay until morning if you like so her sleep is not disturbed. She really is a delightful child, Gilbert. You should be so proud."

He nodded and smiled. "Very. Well, when she wakes, tell her that I'll be by to pick her up soon and that we are going to go see her mother."

Anne was shocked. She spoke in a whisper, as if she was afraid to speak aloud. "So is that why you were with the police?"

He nodded. "You've heard, then?"

"I've heard some things, but until now I had hoped that they were false."

"What exactly are people saying about me?"

"Well…"Anne hesitated, not sure how much she should say. "It is said that Christine disappeared and that the police thought that you might have something to do with it. I don't believe that for a minute, by the way. Why, you'd never hurt a fly! But Christine's disappearance is baffling. I don't know how any woman could just… just… do that voluntarily. But they must have found her if you're going to go and see her, right? Please tell me she's alive!"

"Sounds like you have the basic idea. And yes, she is alive. They found her this morning." He hesitated, not sure how much he should reveal, and then decided that it would be public knowledge soon enough. "They found her living in the basement of the second home of her wealthy, married lover along with their 1 month old son."

Now Anne really was shocked! "She… what?! Oh, Gilbert! How awful! I'm so sorry! I can't even imagine! How could she?" Anne usually considered herself to be a very tolerant and understanding person, but infidelity in marriage – infidelity to _Gilbert_ – well, that was the most unpardonable sin of all!

But Gilbert wasn't finished with his bad news tale. "Guess who her lover is."

"I can't imagine."

"Royal Gardner."

Anne was flummoxed. She collapsed into a nearby chair and found herself rendered speechless. Eventually she squeaked out, "Wow."

"I know!" Gilbert was so angry that he spoke without thinking. "I just can't believe it! That man just has to ruin my life again! Why does he always take the people that mean the most to me?"

Anne looked up at him. Caught by her look, he realized what he had just said, and who he had just said it to. "I didn't mean that, Anne."

"Yes you did!" She rose from her chair and went over to him. "And you're right."

He looked at her questioningly. She went on. "There's no sense avoiding the proverbial elephant in the room anymore, Gil."

"What did you just call me?"

"Gil" she smiled.

"No one's called me Gil in… in…"

"About 8 ½ years. It was in front of Patty's Place with a silly, silly, girl, who believed so much in fantastical romantic ideals that she didn't recognize true love when it stared at her in the face! And in one brief instant, she broke not one heart, but two, though it would take her years to realize that her own heart was shattered in the process."

Gilbert turned to her and clasped both of her hands in his. Both looked as if they were on the verge of tears. Finally, he broke the silence.

"What are you saying, Anne?"

"Something that I have no right to tell you, because you are a married man. Unhappily married, though it may seem, but married none the less. But you're smart enough, Gil, to read between the lines and know what it is that I'm not telling you. Know that a certain silly girl has grown into a rather sad and lonely woman who learned what true love was, but only when it was too late." She was crying now, and huge tears were streaming down her face.

Gilbert looked at first as if he was about to kiss her, but then stopped. Through his own fresh tears he asked, "Do you want to know why Christine said she was unfaithful to me? Because she was second best, and she knew it. I could never truly love her, because I was still in love with… someone else."

They stood there for a very long time, holding hands, with tears streaming down both of their faces as they looked into each other's eyes, communicating with looks what they could not communicate with words.

Gilbert was the first to break the spell. "I'm sorry. It is so late, and I have a very busy day tomorrow. I'd best be going. I'll be by tomorrow morning at nine o'clock to pick up Joyce."

And with that, Gilbert was gone.


	5. Chapter 5: Another Scandal

**KatherineBrooke, I can't do back to back posts like this often, but since it is the weekend, your wish is my command! :)**

* * *

Gilbert returned to Green Gables promptly at 9:00 to retrieve his daughter. Joyce was wearing a new, albeit slightly out of style dress that used to be Dora's, and that huge smile that she reserved only for her Daddy. Anne and Gilbert made small talk as Joyce gathered her things, avoiding eye contact as they did so, knowing that to do so would just stir up emotions that had no outlet just yet.

As the Blythes turned to leave, Joyce abruptly turned and ran to Anne, her little arms wrapping around Anne's hips. "I love you, Miss Shirley! Thanks for the sleepover!"

"I love you too," Anne said as she dared to glance at her father. Gilbert looked back, his eyes filled with the same intensity as the night before. Then they left.

* * *

Gilbert and Joyce traveled not to Kingsport, but to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. Joyce had never been to the great city before, and marveled at the tall buildings and the crowds of people. Kingsport was a city in its own right, but Halifax dwarfed it by far.

Gilbert tried to get caught up in his daughter's joy, but he couldn't unravel the knot in the pit of his stomach. He was about to do the unthinkable. He kept turning over the thought in his mind. Was this truly the right thing to do? Yes, his marriage to Christine had largely just been a sham in recent years, and yes, she had been unfaithful. But this would be an entirely brand new scandal of a different variety. What would become of him after this? What would become of Joyce? She was a sweet and innocent waif at the moment. Something in him doubted that she would remain so for long once he had done what he had come here to do.

"Where's Mommy?" the little girl asked for the umpteenth time. "Miss Shirley said that we were going to see her."

"We are. We're going to see her when we get to the courthouse."

"Why are we going there?"

"Mommy and I have some business to discuss."

"Is Mommy mad? I don't like it when Mommy gets mad. She's mean when she's mad."

"I don't know, sweetheart. She may be."

"I still miss her, though. Even when she's mean."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Gilbert swallowed a growing lump in his throat. "I know you do. She's your Mommy, and little girls need their Mommies. I just want you know that no matter what happens today, Mommy and I still love you very much."

"What's going to happen today?" For the first time, Gilbert cursed the child's inquisitiveness.

"Mommy and I are getting a divorce."

"What's a divorce?"

Gilbert sighed. "It means that we won't be married anymore."

"Oh, I thought that that had already happened" she said matter-of-factly as the horse drawn cab they were riding in stopped in front of the courthouse. Gilbert looked at her with eyes full of great sadness, amazed at the intuitiveness of his daughter, and he felt his heart breaking all over again.

* * *

Christine met them in the hallway. She didn't acknowledge Gilbert at all but fawned all over her daughter. "My goodness, Joyce, look how much you have grown! And your hair is so long and curly! That's those Stuart good looks passed on down to you!"

Joyce struggled in her mother's extra tight embrace. "Mommy, you're hurting me!"

"Sorry, darling. Mommy just missed you so much!" She spoke this last part in an irritating baby-like voice, squeezing her face in her hand.

"I'm not a baby anymore Mommy! I'll be six soon! And I'm going to school in the fall. Miss Shirley's going to be my teacher!"

"Ah, it's Miss Shirley who is going to teach you, hmm?" Christine said as she smiled sweetly and then glared over at Gilbert. "I'm sure that your father is happy about that."

Gilbert opened his mouth to retaliate, but then thought better. He was not going to let his daughter see her parents fight, and he certainly was not going to let Anne get dragged into this mess. Instead he said, "How's your friend, Mr. Gardner?"

Christine just laughed. "Oh, isn't your Daddy just silly, Joyce?"

"Uh, sure Mommy" she said, not fully understanding.

Just then, the door to the courtroom opened. "Mr. and Mrs. Blythe?" the officer said. "The judge will see you now. I'll take your daughter down the hall to our playroom. She can be picked up there."

* * *

Judge Timothy Applegate was a very large man. In his flowing black robes, powdered courtroom wig, and with an impressive scowl on his face, he was beyond intimidating. "So," he said, grimly. "You have come to seek a divorce. On what grounds?"

"Infidelity" they both said in unison.

This surprised Gilbert. On what grounds did she have to accuse him of infidelity? Then he thought of her last words to him before she left, and the look she gave him when Joyce brought up Anne, and he suddenly felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had never been unfaithful! How dare she bring Anne into this! In truth, his heart had been unfaithful, but that was all. The problem was he had no way of proving that he had not acted on those desires. The police officer had recommended that he consult with a lawyer before going to court today, but he had thought it an unnecessary expense because Christine had clearly been unfaithful. Now he regretted his glibness.

"Interesting" the judge continued. "I've granted a divorce to couples on the grounds of infidelity before, but usually only one was unfaithful. I suddenly find this to be a very interesting case. I see that you both are present without counsel. I don't usually recommend it, but it sounds like both of you are going to have to prove your innocence, or at least prove that you are less guilty than the other. I highly recommend that you both secure counsel. It goes without saying that in a case like this, a divorce is granted for sure. But you have a child together, do you not?"

"Yes," Gilbert spoke up. "A daughter. Her name is Joyce, and she turns six... in just two days." And what a very unhappy birthday it may turn out to be, he thought to himself.

"Then it is pertinent that we decide whom the child should live with, isn't it? That is, unless one of you is willing to relinquish the child to the other and spare us all this nonsense."

"Absolutely not!" they both cried in unison. They then glared at each other.

"Very well, then we will have a time, won't we? As you may know, until the last century, the wife and child were considered the property of the husband, and if the wife left the marriage or was divorced by her husband, she lost parental rights. But because of the 1839 _Custody of Infants Act_, I now have to hear both sides because women are allowed to have rights and other such nonsense. We shall adjourn and reconvene tomorrow at 10:00. The child shall spend the night with the father." He wrapped his gavel, stood, and left.

Gilbert's heart lifted a little as they left the courtroom. Clearly Judge Applegate had a grudge against women, and while normally this kind of discrimination disgusted him, he realized that in this case it might actually work in his favor. Still, he had to find counsel and find it now. How on earth would he pay for such counsel? When he had awakened that morning, he knew that it was going to be a hard day, and that his marriage would be over. He assumed that he would go back to Avonlea with Joyce in the evening and that they would finally be free. Now, he realized, he could lose his little girl! If he thought that he was a broken man before, losing Joyce would literally destroy him.

Gilbert secured a lawyer who offered to take his case pro bono. He thought that Gilbert had a solid case against Christine, and she would have a difficult time proving that Gilbert was unfaithful, but that divorce court can be unpredictable, and they should be prepared for anything. Gilbert attempted to spend what he hoped appeared to be a carefree evening with Joyce. Late that night, however, he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Green Gables, Anne's day was equally awful. Marilla was refusing to eat. No amount of coaxing or pleading was going to get her to open her mouth. She also refused her medication and without it she became angry and cruel and even more disoriented than usual. The nurse called for the doctor. Dr. Greeves only shook his head upon examining his patient. There was nothing that he could do. She was giving up. It was only just a matter of time, now. All they could do was to make her comfortable and wait for the end. Distraught and at the end of her rope, Anne cried herself to sleep.

* * *

**AN: I had to do a little bit of research for this one. Pre-WWI, marriage was very common in Canada (9/10 adults over 21 were married), but divorce was extremely rare. In fact, divorce was only granted on the grounds of infidelity, and only the capital cities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia even had divorce courts. After infidelity had been proven, custody of children would have been granted to the parent who had remained faithful. However, in cases where infidelity is found in both parties (as poor Gilbert now possibly faces), the judge could decide between the two parents, or in rare cases, he could declare the child to be an orphan and send the child away. The 1839 _Custody of Infants Act_ (an infant back then was defined as any child under 18, not just babies) is a real act that would have been in place at the time of Gilbert and Christine's divorce. This act was overturned in the mid 20th century to allow for joint or shared custody of children in case of a divorce. **


End file.
